


Rain and Crah

by Adam2810



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Adventure, Andalites, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hork-Bajir, Interracial Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-10 08:50:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15945923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adam2810/pseuds/Adam2810
Summary: A young Andalite researcher called Rainaiell arrives at Yellowstone to study Hork-Bajir in the years after the war. Little does she know that they aren't the only ones being studied. A Seer lives nearby, and he is very curious about the new arrivals.Joint writing experiment. Expect multiple writing styles!





	1. Chapter 1

**Rain and Crah**

**Chapter 1**

   <Successful landing, sir!>

   <Very good,> Prince Elgatt said. <I’m so very relieved to finally be here. It’s about time I got to stretch my legs.>

   The Prince inspected the outside world, visible through the front of the transporter’s bridge. The land was much greener than most Andal ecosystems. The grass waved invitingly in a sudden breeze, and the tall trees in the distance would be a lovely shelter for any Andalite escaping the Earth Sun. He was eager to finally meet his new colleagues in the new Andalite research centre.

   The crew of the transporter was only small. The Prince, after a long career centred around the terrible Space battles of the Yeerk war, was in charge of a civilian crew for the assignment that would bring his working life to an end. The signs had started to show, such as the lines of age across his greying hooves, and the thinning of hair down his extremities. Despite it all, he struck a jovial figure. Life had treated him well. The rest of the crew were much younger, and with different backgrounds.

   One of interest was the beautiful female, Rainaiell-Iarxalim-Oneiros, a budding researcher and friend of all that was natural. She would often be found in the grasslands around her home on Andal, a notepad in hand, sniffing flowers and searching under bushes for small animals, all for the pleasure of watching and watching alone. She was innocent, if a little naïve. She was in the minds of many of the ship’s male crew members.

   In particular, that of another research student. Alalgin-Esgarroun-Harrosh was much wiser to the world and a hero amongst his peers. Tall, handsome and kindly, everybody thought he and Rainaiell would make a perfect match. Indeed, he would often be noted watching her as she by him. And watching… and watching…

   Maybe she was too innocent to understand his intentions. Maybe she had no interest in him. Whatever it may have been, a year or two stuck together, researching a sentient alien species bound to the Human world called Earth, would be his perfect opportunity to get his wish.

   She was organising her possessions within her cabin, a spring gifting her step, so eager to see her new home and the renowned Human world. She skidded from her sleeping area to a desk coated in miscellaneous items, from models of Andal wildlife to hologram projectors filled to bursting with family photographs. She hummed to herself cheerfully, putting away the last pieces, just as Alalgin arrived at her open doorway.

   <Rainaiell!> He greeted. <We’re finally here! Earth, the Human world. Would you care to take a first look with me?>

   It was a common suggestion of his, to take her places she had yet to see. She thought it friendly and little more. She never saw him as a mate. It had never crossed her mind. <Sure!> She said, nevertheless. <I’d love to. Do you think we’ll see any Humans?>

   <I hope so,> He said, placing his hands to his strong, masculine hips. <They were supposed to meet us. They have a laboratory to show us.>

   Rainaiell dropped her belongings to the side and joined him in the corridor, stalk eyes swirling around curiously as the rest of the crew made their presences known with bags and manual transporter craft. The pair trotted down to the anterior of the ship, exchanging innocent pleasantries along the way. A sneaky stalk eye of his would take occasional glances of her admittedly pert backside. She never truly noticed, far too engrossed in the fascinating world around her. Once they arrived at the aft exit hatch, the new sunlight of Earth became apparent, settling neatly on the details of the ship’s interior. Other crew members were shifting cargo out onto the open grass. Rainaiell covered her ears, stung by the booming hum of the old transport vessel that had long expired its sell-by.

   Earth was more than she expected. She gasped in wonderment, innately grabbing at Alalgin’s hand as all four eyes settled on a wide view of open grassland, swathes of trees like carpet on the horizon and a backdrop of beautiful mountains. The grass beneath her hooves was thick, and though it tasted unusual, she thought of it like a cultural delicacy that should be treasured for its oddity. It was Yellowstone, one of Earth’s most treasured reservations. There, their research specimens would be found.

   <I can’t see any Hork-Bajir.> She uttered, finally drawing a stalk eye away from the view and to Alalgin. Her hand released his.

   <The Hork-Bajir are a funny race,> He hummed. <They were probably scared off by the loud noises. Oh, and they don’t like Andalites that much.>

   <We aren’t here to hurt them…> She spoke, feeling a little hurt even by the notion.

   He laughed, trying subtlety to take her hand again. She pulled it away, thinking that it was unintentional contact and that they were standing too close. <We will have to watch them from a distance, I think. They probably think we’re still at war. Not the brightest creatures.>

   <This is going to be fantastic!> She cheered. <The place looks amazing!>

   <Just wait until we see the accommodation. It’s one of the best research facilities on Earth.> He said, turning his main eyes to a group of Humans that had approached. Prince Elgatt was introducing himself. <Shall we?>

   The two young researches went about their business, speaking to the Humans that were to welcome them to planet Earth. Meanwhile, far off in the distance, others were watching from the trees. The local Hork-Bajir had been aware of the new building being constructed nearby, and were used to having ships drop in. Clutched into canopies and peeking through pine branches, they saw a large number of Andalites arriving. Voices of concern rang around them, some more suspicious than others.

   One of the Hork-Bajir was not like the others. He was _different_. Only so many were born over the generations, and it just so happened that he was one of those watching on. His fellow Hork-Bajir were badgering him for advice or answers, and he would more often than not reply with shrugs – a Human action picked up in most Hork-Bajir colonies.

   His name was Crah Rahet. He had never seen an Andalite before, though he had heard of the mutual past held by the two races. His perception was skewed by the stories of the older locals, who would tell stories of angry Andalite shoulders on battlefields, cutting down their friends and families before their eyes. Andalites that unleashed a terrible plague among their people. Andalites that would commit genocide on them.

   What was their purpose? Why were they coming to his home? He didn’t want to find out, but the poking and prodding off his people added an invisible pressure. He was different! Perhaps it was his role to investigate…

   He continues to watch until the last Andalites disappeared over a ridge towards the new building. The ship remained there, asleep. He climbed down from his tree, and emerged into the open. He would find out just what those Andalites were up to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

   The ship felt warm from a distance as Crah approached. He remained behind it as much as possible, blocking off the view to the nearby building where the Andalites were likely to be. He looked in awe at the transporter, taking in every little details, every shiny bit of metal and dull, synthetic surface. It was different to the other ships he’d seen here, and smaller, too. Not as small as Human vehicles, though. He’d seen plenty of them.

   There was a big hole in the ship, definitely large enough for him to walk through. He felt reluctant at first, but as he sneaked from front to back, the view of the inside began to tempt him. Maybe whatever was inside would answer all of the questions that nipped at his brain. Building the courage up, he took one final look to the horizon and, seeing not one soul, he ascended the ramp into the ship that hummed sluggishly around him.

   It was nothing like the world he was used to. There was something akin to grass carpeting the floor, but everything else was a blinding white or light and inoffensive grey. He had to duck slightly to move from one compartment for the next, but on the whole it was rather comfortable. It was like a big, metal cave. Just as warm, too.

   But Crah was not alone. The pilot of the transporter had been left behind to supervise. He was alone on the bridge, checking over the ship’s vital systems. He clicked and tapped away at control, unaware of the Hork-Bajir steadily making his way through the central corridor. Crah suddenly received a scent, and it was the distinctive Andalite smell. Having never met one, he had no idea of its origin, but realised soon enough that it came from something living. He took another few steps forward, breaching the boundary to the bridge, and the sharp, deadly Andalite blade came into view. His jaw clamped shut, and as silently as he could he reversed back into the corridor. His footsteps back away from the bridge were as silent as he could make them.

   Aware that the Andalite could emerge again at any moment, he took the first opportunity to hide. A nearby doorway was gaping, and so he sidled over the wall and around the frame. The scent of strange, alien flowers invaded his nostrils. The room was quite large, but equally empty, but for a flat, raised surface at one side and a bedded area at the other. He huffed quietly, irritated that his improvised plan seemed to be churning no results. However, when he turned to peek back out into the corridor, his foot collided with a soft surface that crumpled against the contact of his T-Rex-like toe. He gazed down at the sky-blue container. A bag, quite hefty and taut with hidden treasures.

   Perhaps his answers were in there! He didn’t know how to open it, but when he bent down and lifted one side, he heard the sound of multiple items tumbling inside. Convinced, he lifted it into his capable arms and looked out into the corridor. The coast was clear. Quietly, he tip-toed back out and headed back towards the ship’s hatch, breathing a sigh of relief as he turned a corner, easily out of sight of the ignorant pilot. He increased his pace through the bowels of the ship, locating the brightness of the outdoors and landing his feet on cold Earth grass again. No longer concerned with being sneaky, he triumphantly bounded for the homely trees, big blue case clutched tightly to his chest.

   His friends waited with bated breath, peering down eagerly from the tall trees that lined the clearing. When he arrived at the trunks, the started to descend like the earliest raindrops of an approaching downpour, thudding to the litter floor.

   “I found this!” He announced proudly. The bag was dropped to the ground, and he knelt down to investigate more closely. The others soon joined him. Latecomers clambered over the backs of their peers to get the best viewing.

   It took one of Crah’s friends – Rep Dagif – to locate a small button beneath a flap on one side. She touched it, and it activated under the pressure. A thin black lip on the upmost surface suddenly came ajar, and interest among the crowd hit a new peak.

   “Come from Andalite bird?” asked one, referring to the ship.

   “Yes,” Crah replied. “Maybe we can find out what they’re doing.”

   Several hands reached inside the bag, and one-by-one retrieved items. Crah pulled out shiny, blue stone. It was just noticeably translucent, but it didn’t seem to have any use. It certainly wasn’t edible.

   “Food?” He heard somebody enquire. Looking up, he saw a book dangling helplessly from the indelicate claws of an older male.

   He recognised it. “I’ve seen something like that.”

   “Food?”

   “No. It’s not food. It’s something Humans make funny lines on.”

   The male hummed and sniffed at it. “Smell like food.”

   Crah held out a hand, and was gifting with what he thought was a book. It was an Andalite notepad. Strangely, and unbeknownst to him, the Andalites took quite some time to invent something so simplistic. One of the few things that Humans would best them at.

   Crah had never read before, and even if he could, his most familiar written language would have been American English. The Andalite scribbles were far beyond his reach, but he took a strange pleasure in studying them, nonetheless. In fact, he became enthralled, as the rest of the bag was dissected by the colony.

   He became so engrossed, that the rest had grown bored by the time he’d overlooked the very last page. When he turned to look back, two Hork-Bajir were left snoozing behind a messily re-filled bag. He tutted at his own inattentiveness and gently placed the book back inside, just squeezing it over some over items, though carefully enough that he wouldn’t dog-ear any pages. When everything was cosily back inside after some lengthy adjustment, he took it back to his chest and ran back home. It would be time for a campfire soon.


End file.
